How Did Jazz Originate?

The Roots of Jazz

The story of jazz is rooted in the story of slavery in America, in particular in the United States and, further back, in Africa. It is the story of the music of Africa and how it was transformed by the experience of slavery.

All of those musicians who contributed to the early days of jazz, to its formation, were the children or grandchildren of slaves.

But that does not fully explain the phenomenon of a music that has spread across the world. These quotes give a taste of the ingredients that went into the gumbo we know as jazz.

“What did I do / to be so black and blue?” - Fats Waller

“...the blues is a melting-pot, and jazz, ruled over by a black prime minister with a solo trumpet, is a universal democracy.” - James Campbell in the introduction to The Picador Book of Blues and Jazz (1995).

“...the transportation of slaves to the New World was a link in the chain between two Continents: a musical chain we shall test link by link in order to trace the many stresses and strains which have affected it; a full grasp of the implications of slavery is not only necessary, but vital, to a clear understanding of jazz.” - Rex Harris, Jazz (Penguin, 1952)

“Jazz was not an accident. It appeared when it did because of what had gone before, and it spread through the culture with amazing spread because the American people were prepared for it – in fact, were actively searching for it, or something like it.” - James Lincoln Collier, Jazz, the American Theme Song (OUP, 1993)

Pat Matshikiza, South African pianist (Photo Tony McGregor)

Barney Rachabane, South African alto player (Photo Tony McGregor)

South African pianist Andile Yenana. (Photo Tony McGregor)

The Old Plantation. A watercolour painting from the late 18th Century. It is "the only known painting of its era that depicts African Americans by themselves, concerned only with each other." From Wikipedia

How did jazz start?

The music we know today as jazz arose
out of the black experience in the United States, an experience of
violent dislocation and cultural deprivation, an experience of
survival in the most cruel of human situations, an experience of
spiritual and psychological oppression.

To get an idea of the magnitude and
shape of this black experience in the United States it is necessary
to look at slavery and the slave trade, to understand its
implications for the people involved and how they responded to it. It
is this response that is so important for an understanding of jazz.

James Lincoln Collier in his excellent
article on jazz in the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (Macmillan,
1996) wrote on the acculturation process that arose from the contact
between the cultures of the African slaves brought into contact with
the dominant white culture of the US: “...such a process of
acculturation is seldom total: characteristically, a form from the
new culture is imbued with emotional or functional significance from
the old. Thus the black slaves adopted European instruments, musical
devices such as the diatonic scale, standard meters, and popular song
forms, but they used them to reproduce African effects.”

It was this use of, for example, the
European diatonic scale to produce an African effect which led to the
slave musicians flatting the third note in the scale (and sometimes
the seventh and fifth notes as well) to produce the famous “blue
note” which features so prominently in the blues and later jazz.

The slaves also used music functionally
as work songs and the like. This too was a reflection of the
functionality of music in African society.

William Blake's frightful image of the effect of slavery on an individual. Image from Wikipedia

Slavery in the US

In the 70 years from 1790 to 1860 the
slave population of the US rose from 694,207 to 3,950,546 and indeed
slaves made up considerable proportions of the states in which they
lived.

It is difficult for me to imagine that
people were bought and sold like cattle, and it must have been an
incredible wrench for people used to wide open spaces and a fair
degree of personal freedom to suddenly find themselves at the mercy
of masters and overseers who didn't even regard them as people.

These slaves came from a variety of
cultural groups in West Africa and south central Africa.

Some 10 to 12 million Africans survived
the rigours of the infamous “middle passage”, just under 1
million of them to take up their lives as chattels in the plantations
and farms of the US south. Not all of those who left Africa made it
to the Americas. The 10 to 12 million people were those left of the
15 or so million who left the shores of West Africa, many from the
island of Gorée in Sénégal.
The others died en route in small sailing ships whose holds were packed with hundreds of
people in incredibly unsanitary conditions. The trip took anything
from a month to six months. Many jumped ship, only to be eaten by the
sharks following the ships. Many died on board and were thrown
overboard. Many were killed as punishment for some alleged
misdemeanour or other.

Before
boarding the ships the slaves, most of whom were captured by African
war-lords or private kidnappers, had been brought to the west coast
of Africa in shackles after nightmarish forced marches from their
homes. So by the time they boarded the slave ships they were already
demoralised, frequently sick and very weak. They therefore had little
strength with which to withstand the effects of the voyage in cramped
quarters with one meal a day and little opportunity for exercise.

Once in
the US the slaves faced continued brutality from slave owners and the
overseers of plantations. The brutality arose from the perceived need
to force slaves to work. An Arkansas slave owner quoted by historian
Kenneth Stampp in his book The
Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante-Bellum South (1956) said:
“Now, I speak what I know, when I say it is like ‘casting pearls
before swine' to try to persuade a negro (sic) to work. He must be
made to work, and should always be given to understand that if he
fails to perform his duty he will be punished for it."

Slaves
who showed any signs of resistance were brutally punished, most
commonly by whipping, but also by other means. As one visitor was
told by a plantation overseer: "Some Negroes are determined
never to let a white man whip them and will resist you, when you
attempt it; of course you must kill them in that case." Female
slaves were whipped just like the males. When pregnant slave women
were whipped a hole was frequently dug in the ground to accommodate
their stomachs.

Slaves
who were deemed irredeemable or who had no further commercial value
were often hanged.

Slaves
were also prevented from improving themselves by laws which forbade
them being taught to read and write, especially after the Nat Turner
rebellion in 1831.

The state of
Virginia enacted a law which stated:

“If
a white person assemble with negroes (sic) for the purpose of
instructing them to read or write, or if he associate with them in an
unlawful assembly, he shall be confined in jail not exceeding six
months and fined not exceeding one hundred dollars; and any justice
may require him to enter into a recognizance, with sufficient
security, to appear before the circuit, county or corporation court,
of the county or corporation where the offence was committed, at its
next term, to answer therefor [sic ],
and in the mean time to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.”

Slave auction poster. Image from Wikipedia

Slave ship poster. Image from Wikipedia

The pre-history of jazz

In this situation
of cruelty and cultural dislocation the slaves had to find ways to
cope, and one of the most effective coping mechanisms was music,
along with the development of a spirituality suited to their
background and experience.

Gérald
Arnaud and Jacques Chesnel in their 1988 book Masters of Jazz
(Chambers) wrote of the experience of the slaves taken to the US:
“Ethnic groups were mercilessly dispersed, languages and religious
cults were outlawed, and the few musical instruments that had been
brought across the ocean were confiscated and destroyed.”

Because of this
situation the slaves resorted to using whatever was to hand to make
their music: their bodies, hands and feet, and, very importantly,
their voices.

Out of this
situation grew the field hollers and work songs which came to
characterise the music of the slaves. Field hollers seem to have
arisen as ways of communicating information from one plantation to
another, communications that were usually frowned upon by the slave
overseers. In the field hollers the information was coded by the
slaves to camouflage the messages being transmitted. Field hollers
were often rhyming and in a set form.

Work songs arose
to make the repetitive work of digging and hoeing less arduous and
monotonous. Work songs featured strong and steady beats to accompany
the work.

Out of the
improvised rhyming field hollers and the steady beat of the works
songs developed spirituals and from them in turn, that enduring and
fertile form, the blues.

The field hollers
and work songs have been found by musicologists to have definite
traces of the music of West Africa embedded in them. Prime among
these and of great significance in the development of jazz is the
“call and response” form. In this form a leader will sing a line,
usually relevant to the situation in which the song is being sung,
which will be answered by others participating in the music. Other
aspects of the music which shows West African ancestry is the use of
multiple rhythms which cross each other, building up a complex
rhythmic structure, usually over a strong ground beat.

What is an open
question, at least for me, is why did jazz only arise in the United
States? After all, slaves from Africa also worked on the plantations
and farms of Brazil and the Caribbean islands without giving rise to
jazz. Was it because the prevailing Protestant ethos in the southern
states of the United States was less accepting of the West African
cultural expressions than were the Catholics of Latin America? Could
another factor be the influence of Protestant hymnody?

Whatever it was
that enabled jazz to grow has bequeathed a musical gift which has
enriched cultures all over the world.

Greg Hadjiyorki Geogeades a South African of Egyptian origin who is a master of many stringed instruments. At a recent performance in Pretoria. Photo by Tony McGregor

Jazz today

Jazz today comes
in a sometimes bewildering array of colours and flavours, constantly
renewing itself and finding new ways of expression. It has also
spread across the world in most wonderful ways.

Fascinating
examples of the music creating feedback loops for itself are found,
like the hip-hop music that grew out of jazz and then started to
influence jazz players. Like the way that many jazz players from the
US have gone in search of their African musical roots and had their
music challenged and changed by their experiences.

Wherever jazz
finds itself as a genuine musical expression it changes itself and is
changed by the new contexts and traditions that it comes into contact
with. The acculturation process is continuous and enriching.

The next Hub in
this series will look at the bedrock on which the edifice of jazz is
built – the blues.

Copyright Notice

The text and all images on this page, unless otherwise indicated, are by Tony McGregor
who hereby asserts his copyright on the material. Should you wish to
use any of the text or images feel free to do so with proper attribution
and, if possible, a link back to this page. Thank you.

Comments

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sending

Christopher Nowak

5 months ago

I think that if you had to pick one song that explains the epitome of jazz music, you would have to choose Billie Holiday's version of STRANGE FRUIT.

Asdfgk

2 years ago

Great. It really help me to have a report about Jazz Music

Michael W.

4 years ago

It was pure cruelty what the white people have done to the Africans back in the day. Out of this cruelty they have created an original music that depicts the horrors of this era. It is important to keep that in mind when listening and experiencing Jazz music. Only then can we truly understand this great art form and appreciate its music and how it originated from. Jazz music is an extremely powerful art of music that shows us the soul of the human spirit and for that it is truly magnificent.

abdo

5 years ago

can you inform me how can i cite for this ?

Sandria Green-Stewart

5 years agofrom Toronto, Canada

Interesting history of jazz, an art form that I really enjoy. What about the influence of the Blues on jazz?

Looking for the next post...

Kristen Howe

5 years agofrom Northeast Ohio

Great hub on the music history of jazz and where it came from. Very informative and rich with knowledge. Voted up!

zakia

7 years ago

I thik that jazz star the worry

Zoe

8 years ago

What does heady mix mean where you have put "Jazz then gradually evolved, growing more and more complex and further away from the heady mix of cultures that it grew from" Thanks.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

9 years agofrom South Africa

Swedal - glad you found it useful. Thanks for stopping by.

Love and peace

Tony

swedal

9 years agofrom Colorado

Love this exploration of the history of Jazz. I enjoy the music and now I better understand where it comes from.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

9 years agofrom South Africa

Christopher - thanks for stopping by with such a great comment. I really appreciate it. I guess that is the miracle of jazz - out of the pain comes this bright and joyous thing!

Love and peace

Tony

Christopher Price

9 years agofrom Vermont, USA

Tony, this was a fine beginning to your series.

It is life-affirming and wonderful that something so soul-stirring can be born of such sad circumstances.

CP

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

9 years agofrom South Africa

MM - thank you very much for your kind words and support. I appreciate it very much indeed.

Love and peace

Tony

music messenger

9 years ago

Tonymac, good information and research. Always a fan of your work. Good job. i voted.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

Coolmon - thank you indeed for the compliments.

Love and peace

Tony

Coolmon2009

10 years agofrom Texas, USA

Enjoyed reading your article, and I like how you connected Jazz to its origins. I like your selection of videos too, nice article.

Micky Dee

10 years ago

Great hub. Great history. Slavery was long, long before America involvement, but American slavery has been some of the cruelest. Reconstruction was sometimes worse! Thanks Tony.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

Ginn - thanks for the kind words. I appreciate them very much. "Blues" coming up soon!

Love and peace

Tony

Ginn Navarre

10 years ago

Oh! I really enjoyed this and can hardly wait for your hub on "Blues"--my favorite. Please keep it coming.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

James - thank you so much for your kind words. Coming from a musician and writer as they do I am humbled and honoured! It means a lot to me that you took the time to read and comment.

Love and peace

Tony

James A Watkins

10 years agofrom Chicago

This is a great Hub. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your work. Beautifully done. Thank you.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

Al - you are kind and I appreciate it.

Winsome - thanks for the suggestion. There is much great vocal music here. And of course I would love you to link my Hub to your's. Honoured, in fact!

Wilbury - thank you. Getting a comment like your certainly makes the time spent on the Hub feel justified.

Thanks all for dropping by and taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate your doing so beyond words.

Love and peace

Tony

Steve Webb

10 years agofrom Great Wakering, England

Excellent, well researched article Tony. You're right, it does take time to put together, but the end result justifies it, as can be seen here! All the best, steve

Winsome

10 years agofrom Southern California by way of Texas

Ahhh Tony, such a great start! I will link this to Dizzy, Yardbird etc with your permission. I am eagerly anticipating your series and if you are not too busy creating them, I would love to see you do a hub on the wonderful South African group vocal music--such as that in "The Power of One" movie.

Love and Blue Notes. =:)

Mystique1957

10 years agofrom Caracas-Venezuela

Tony...

This is an extraordinary hub! I am a Jazz lover. All kinds! This is really stirring memories, I am looking forward to the next part!

Thumbs up!

warm regards and blessings,

Al

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

De Greek - yes, I love Garner and "Concert by the Sea" would be a lovely accompanyment to any read about jazz!

Thanks for the visit and the comment.

Love and peace

Tony

De Greek

10 years agofrom UK

Fascinating. I switched on Errol Garner to accompany the reading of your work.. :-))

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

Will do, Amillar. Just takes a bit of time, is all!

Thanks for the read and the comment. I am grateful, really.

Love and peace

Tony

amillar

10 years agofrom Scotland, UK

Keep it coming Tony.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

Dim, Lori - thanks for dropping by and commenting. I appreciate that very much.

My brother is a jazz musician. Check him out at wwwdotjeffrehmetdotcom

Dim Flaxenwick

10 years agofrom Great Britain

Excellent hub. Thnk you , Tony. I love the way you connected the slavery situation to the music.

Love and peace as always

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

AJ - you are kind. Thank you.

Larry - thanks for the comment and feedback. Those are of course great jazzmen you list. Miles is a special case as he really developed through a number of jazz genres in his career, being a pioneer many times over, as it were.

Sala kahle, my friend.

Love and peace

Tony

maven101

10 years agofrom Northern Arizona

Interesting take on the evolution of Jazz, although I thought the slavery lesson was a bit overdone...Jazz has always been a distinctively American idiom, with Europeans largely forming an appreciative audience and Europe's jazzmen following trends begun in the United States...my interest in Jazz is in the classical edge of that genre: Progressive Jazz...To that extent my Jazz heroes are Tatum, Tristano, Jamal, Getz, and Miles Davis...I'm looking forward to your continuing series on Jazz...Hamba Kahle...Larry

ajbarnett

10 years ago

Terrific hub. You've researched it well. Congrats.

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

NSJ - thank you. I hope you don't have to wait too long! These Hubs are taking a long time to write, I have to admit.

Cris - yes, the time taken to research for this Hub and the ones to follow is quite long.

Thanks so much, good people, for dropping by and taking the time to read and comment. I really do appreciate it.

Love and peace

Tony

Chris A

10 years ago

Thank you Tony - now I know why you have been so quiet of late :-) -

nextstopjupiter

10 years agofrom here, there and everywhere

A great introduction to the roots of jazz, looking forward to your next hubs about the history of jazz!

AUTHOR

Tony McGregor

10 years agofrom South Africa

Well Ann, you got here mighty fast! Thanks for the read and the comment. Appreciated. One CD in four hours could get a bit much, I reckon!

Love and peace

Tony

Ann Nonymous

10 years agofrom Virginia

This was really good Tony. Can't wait to read the next part! I have always known of Jazz but I'll never forget a four hour drive to a friend's graduation and all the car had in it was one lone jazz cd! Talk about jazzing it up! LOL

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